The Black Shadow
by Angel Monroe
Summary: Discontinued. Sorry Guys! Reese is leaving town to avoid becoming the next target of the Black Shadow. What happens when Huntress puts herself in the middle? No specific rating or genre yet. R/R please!
1. You're Leaving?

A/N: This is my first fanfic, so let me know what you think. If I make spelling or grammatical errors, please tell me. Otherwise, enjoy!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own the show, these characters, or anything else related to it.**  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 1: You're Leaving!  
  
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Helena demanded, her voice more angry than sad. "You're just going to pack up and go?"  
  
"Yeah, it seems that way," Reese replied as he continued to transfer clothes from his dresser to the two half-filled suitcases lying open on his bed.  
  
"Are you going to tell me why?" Helena pushed.  
  
"Nope."  
  
"Well how long are you going to be gone?" she asked.  
  
"Indefinitely."  
  
She stepped between him and his suitcase. "Why won't you tell me anything?" she asked, her voice calmer. "Are you in some kinda trouble?"  
  
He looked her straight in the eye. "Stay out of it," he ordered. "I will not let you get involved."  
  
Helena smirked a little. "Okay, now you have to tell me. You've caught my interest."  
  
He gently pushed her aside and continued to pack. He didn't say anything or even look at her.  
  
"You know what? Fine," she sighed angrily. She climbed through the open window and jumped off the fire escape.  
  
After landing gracefully on the ground, she pressed her finger to the communicator in her ear. "Oracle," she said knowing that she would be heard, "I need you to pull up the last file Reese has been working on."  
  
**Later that night at HQ**  
  
"His latest case was a man by the name of Jack Lunden," Barbara read from the computer screen, "an international hit man who arrived in New Gotham about two weeks ago. He's known throughout the world as The Black Shadow because he has escaped arrest 48 times in the twelve years he is known to have been working. Witnesses claim he can blend into shadow and disappear."  
  
"Sounds metahuman to me," Helena chimed in beside her.  
  
"He is known to have committed at least 94 assassinations," Barbara continued, "including some very powerful people."  
  
"So, what?" Helena said beginning to pace, "This 'Black Shadow' finds out Reese is investigating him and decides to make him a target?"  
  
"That would explain why Reese's leaving," Barbara replied, "but if this guy has it in for him, I don't think leaving would help any."  
  
"So," Helena said simply, "I stop the threat and Reese stays in town."  
  
"Helena," Barbara warned, "this is no guy to get into it with. We need to do a little more research before we run in half-cocked."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Helena asked with mock innocence. "You know I'd never do anything irrational."  
  
Barbara laughed. "Oh no?" she chuckled. "What about the time you-"  
  
"That's not the point," Helena cut her off. "The point is, I have a friend in trouble and I'm going out to do a little recon."  
  
Before Barbara could say another word, the Huntress disappeared.  
  
TBC  
  
**So what'd you guys think? Good? Bad? Anything? If you don't review, I won't know. Trust me, I don't bite. Much.  
  
I haven't even thought past this first chapter, so it might be a while before the next. I was just inspired so I started to write. If enough people review, I'll be more motivated. Just a little incentive. Anyway, thanks for you're input! O:-)** 


	2. Descent into Darkness

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! I love hearing your opinions. It's like a pixie stix high. No, it's better. It's like catnip. Hehehe. So keep it up!  
  
I didn't plan on this chapter turning out this way, but I guess my Almighty muse steer me this way. I can't even imagine how the next chapter will go. Anyway, enjoy!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you did sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**  
  
  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 2: Descent into Darkness  
  
  
  
Reese walked down the alley toward his car looking over his shoulder every few steps. As he approached the vehicle, he turned back once more to see if he was being tailed.  
  
"So who was this Black Shadow guy's original target?" He heard a voice from the direction of his car. He turned back to see Helena lounging comfortably on the hood.  
  
"Didn't I tell you to stay out of this?" he asked circling around to the driver's door.  
  
"Yeah, I guess you did," she admitted with a smirk as she hopped to the ground, "but I've never been very good with instructions. I got to know my high school dean pretty well though."  
  
As Reese went to open the door, she pushed it closed, refusing to let him go. Reese sighed backing angrily away. "What do you want from me?" he demanded.  
  
Helena looked down, almost unwilling to say what she thought. Finally, she said quietly, "I want you to stay."  
  
Reese chuckled dryly. "You want me to stay?" he asked sarcastically. "The mighty Huntress wants me to stay?" He walked around in a circle, obviously seething, "Well that's great. I guess I'll just do that. Who cares if I have an uncatchable assassin trying to kill me? Who cares if I can't work, can't sleep, can't breathe? Who cares if I spent the remainder of my very short life looking over my shoulder? I'll stay, just because you said so."  
  
"Reese, that's not what I meant," Helena said stepping toward him. "I just meant that maybe I could help you find this guy and then you wouldn't have to go."  
  
"Great," he replied with the same mocking tone, "all we have to do is learn how to catch a shadow. It can't be that hard." With a shake of his head, he walked passed her and opened the door once again. This time, she didn't stop him. "Look," he said sliding into the driver's seat, "I told you before that I won't let you get involved." He turned the ignition with the door still hanging open.  
  
The sound of the engine stalling minutely tipped off something in Helena's brain. "Out of the car!" she yelled, pulling him out before he could even react. She ran for a few seconds, pulling him with her, before the car exploded in a ball of flames.  
  
"Dammit!" He bellowed after picking himself up off the ground. He turned to Helena, "How did you know?"  
  
Helena, however, wasn't listening. She was looking carefully around the scene. A dark figure at the end of the alley caught her eye, and she jumped to her feet. Without another word to Reese, she started after the suspicious character at top speed.  
  
"Huntress!" she heard him call after her.  
  
Her feet pounding across the pavement, Helena rounded the corner of the alley to its end, but she saw nothing. Still, she knew that things were not always what they seemed, especially with metahumans. She crept silently around the 12x24 foot space, all her senses alert for movement or sound.  
  
"Huntress," Reese called as he rounded the corner behind her.  
  
As she turned to face him, she felt an arm wrap around her shoulders. Before she had time to react, she the shadow arm pulled her back into darkness and her mind descended into fog.  
  
  
  
**What'd you guys think? Good? Bad? Anything? If you don't review, I won't know. Trust me, I don't bite, much.  
  
Yes, magicmumu, I know you wanted to see Dinah, but she just doesn't fit in yet. I don't know where the story is going quite yet, so, again, it might be a while before the next chapter. If enough people review, I'll be more motivated. Just a little incentive. Anyway, thanks for you're input! O:-)** 


	3. Out of the Fog

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! Really, I can't tell you how much I love it. So keep it up!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you did sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**  
  
  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 3: Out of the Fog  
  
  
  
Helena's head bobbed to the side, pulling her a little further into consciousness. 'What the hell did I smoke before I went to bed?' she asked herself, fighting her way into the waking world. Then the events of her last conscious moments came back to her.  
  
Jerked awake, she tried to move her arms, but they were held fast behind her by some sort of metal wire. Her legs were tied in a similar fashion to the legs of the heavy wooden chair she was sitting in. She tugged at her restraints several times to find a weak point, but it resulted only in shallow cuts circling her wrists. She looked around the room to get a feel for her options.  
  
The room itself was well-furnished and very upscale. From the view she could see through the balcony window, she could guess that she was in a penthouse. She could see the back of the clock tower so she must be on the east part of town, probably upper class district.  
  
"Oracle," she whispered, listening for her voice through the communicator. "Oracle," she repeated. Still, there was no answer. "Dammit," she muttered under her breath, "Reese is going to kill me for not listening to him."  
  
'He was trying to protect me,' she thought, 'and now he'll probably blame himself for me getting captured.' That last thought came with a twinge of remorse. She knew what it was to feel guilty when someone else gets hurt. She knew it all too well from Reese's partner's accident. Now Reese was probably feeling the same way.  
  
'Snap out of it Helena,' she told herself. 'You're the one who's strapped to a chair in an assassin's penthouse. You need to concentrate.'  
  
"Hello pretty kitty," came a deep voice from the corner behind her.  
  
She turned her head, but all she saw was shadow in the corner.  
  
"Over here," came the voice again, this time from in front of her.  
  
"Dammit! Where are you?" she demanded looking all around her, but seeing shadow everywhere: under tables, chairs, behind curtains. There was no way to track his movement.  
  
Suddenly, she felt strong hands around her throat. "I'm going to have so much fun with you," he laughed, tightening his grip slightly before removing his hands. It wasn't so much a threat as it was a plan forming in his head.  
  
He walked around in front of her, and she saw her assailant clearly for the first time. His black hair and dark skin made it seem as if he had walked straight out of midnight. His complexion was unblemished and smooth except one curved scar stretching across his left eyebrow. His eyes were beautiful, but too hard to hold any warmth.  
  
"Not as much fun as I'm going to have kicking your ass," she replied recovering her wits.  
  
"Says the one tied to the chair," he countered. "Tell me, Huntress, how are you going to help the brave officer from that vantage point?"  
  
"What do you have against Reese anyway?" she asked as she inconspicuously work at her bindings behind her back. "I mean, it's not like you haven't been investigated before. What makes Reese special?"  
  
Lunden smiled slyly. "Why do you think it's Reese I'm after?" he asked vaguely.  
  
This caught Helena off guard. "You're not after Reese?" she asked dumbfounded. "Then why'd you put the bomb in his car?"  
  
He didn't say a word, just smiled mysteriously.  
  
Helena looked down at nothing, the wheels spinning in her head. "Unless you're trying to get to someone through him," she said as the realization popped into her head. "His partner is already in the hospital, so if you wanted to get him, you wouldn't have to go through anyone," she said to herself just above a whisper. "I haven't seen him with any friends, besides me of course, and you wouldn't need him for that because I'm already here. He doesn't have any family that I know of-"  
  
The look on Lunden's face stopped her. It was a mix between confusion and disbelief, but the expression was instantly wiped clean in an attempt to hide the inadvertent clue.  
  
"Family," Helena inferred. "You're trying to get to someone in his family." Then to herself again, "I didn't even know he had one."  
  
"It doesn't even matter that you know," he said, obviously upset with himself. "You won't tell anyone." At that he smiled, advancing toward her. "Reese only needs to think I'm holding you for my plans to work."  
  
"Oh, you think so," Helena said, a small smile spreading across her lips as she finished untying the wire binding her hands.  
  
As he neared her, his strong hands reaching for her throat, she swung her arm around, her closed fist connecting with his square jaw. As stumbled back, surprised by her opposition, she untied her feet. With very little effort, she picked the chair up by its back and swung it at his head. Unfortunately, he was ready and melted into a shadow on the floor before it connected.  
  
Before Helena could react, he was behind her, pulling the discarded metal wire around her throat. As he pulled it tighter to her skin, cutting into her flesh, she could feel the air slipping from her lungs. She tried to throw her head back, throw him off balance, but he was ready and it caused no effect.  
  
As her nails dug at the wire, she could feel her life slipping away. The lights in the room seemed to dim and blur as she struggled to stay conscious, fighting the urge to give in to the darkness, the stillness, the peace. It would be so easy to just go to sleep, leave this world and its problems for the next life. She could forget about love and crime and the endless fight against chaos. If only she could just go to sleep...  
  
Then, a crash broke through the darkness she hadn't even realized she had sunken into. She opened her eyes just a slit, and saw her ever-faithful little protégé standing just inside the busted-in door with throwing discus in her hand.  
  
'Dinah,' Helena thought, and her mind got the tiniest bit clearer. 'She's just a kid. She won't be able to face The Black Shadow by herself. She needs me.'  
  
With every bit of strength in her, she pushed off the ground, launching into a back flip and twisting away from her captor. As she landed just behind him, she turned to wire on him, twisting to wire around his neck.  
  
Seeing that he was not going to win this battle, Lunden melted into shadow and slipped away.  
  
**So, what'd you think? I won't know if you don't tell me. Hint hint, wink wink. Next chapter coming as soon as I think of it.** 


	4. Are You Okay?

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! Really, I can't tell you how much I love it. I was holding off this one until I got 10 reviews for the last, but, alas, I only got 8 before I became impatient. This time, I;m sticking to that goal. So keep it up!  
  
I just realized how easy it is for some writers to write 30 chapter fanfics. I have no idea how long this fic is going to be, but I hope you are all in it for the long haul!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you do sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**  
  
  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 4: Are You Okay?  
  
  
  
Reese looked up from his book as Helena appeared on the fire escape outside his apartment.  
  
"Thank God," he sighed putting his book down. "Are you okay?" he asked standing up quickly to open the window for her.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied taking the hand he offered and hopping down off the sill.  
  
He resisted the urge to throw his arms around her just then, but he didn't move away either. Instead, his eyes checked her over meticulously to make sure she was truly alright. His eyes stopped on the thin red line cut into her neck. It was half hidden by her hair and necklace, but his expert eyes caught it all the same. "What happened here?" he asked touching the mark tenderly.  
  
She closed her eyes momentarily, trembling the slightest bit under his touch. "Nothing," she replied, trying to sound nonchalant, though he could tell she was visible shaken by the experience that gave her the abrasion. "Lunden just got a little too close for comfort. I'll be fine."  
  
"I'll kill him," Reese promised her, his fingers still lingering on her neck. "I swear to you, I'll kill him for this."  
  
"Not if I get there first," she retorted.  
  
Abruptly, he broke away from her. "How could I have let this happen?" he demanded to himself more than to her. "How could I have let you get in the middle of this?"  
  
"You didn't let me do anything," Helena argued, her lips forming a slight smirk. "I got myself kidnapped fair and square."  
  
"Is everything a joke to you?" Reese asked turning on her. "You could have been killed, and from the looks of it, you almost were."  
  
"First of all," Helena answered, her voice turning on the offensive, "I'm not a helpless little girl. It isn't that easy to kill me. Second of all, why do you even care?"  
  
"Oh come on, Huntress," Reese said, his voice impatient with her little games. "Don't play that, 'Why do you care?' crap with me. You know how I..." his voice trailed off.  
  
"How you what?" Helena asked stepping closer to him, the smirk back in its rightful position. "Tell me, detective. What do I know?"  
  
He stepped closer to her in return, only inches from her now. "You know what's between us," he replied.  
  
"A couple of inches?" she asked with mock innocence.  
  
He shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips. "This," he replied leaning down so that their lips met softly and briefly.  
  
"Well," Helena whispered as they parted, still very close, "I guess I can accept that."  
  
She pulled away from him completely. Shaking her head, she tried to put her thoughts in order again. "We can't do this right now," she told him. "I need to talk to you about Lunden."  
  
"Okay," Reese sighed, obviously not wanting to stop their previous activities.  
  
"First of all," Helena started, "what happened after I disappeared?"  
  
Reese sat on his bed, "Well," he started, "after I panicked for a few minutes, I hit the ring you gave me. The last time you were in trouble, a woman friend of yours answered. You turned out okay last time, so I figured it would work again. So the same woman called and I told her what happened. She said she'd take care of it, and the next thing I know, you're sitting on my fire escape."  
  
"I'll have to talk to her about that," Helena said to herself. Then to him again, "When I was at Lunden's place, I found out some very valuable information."  
  
"What is it?" Reese asked eagerly.  
  
"This guy isn't even after you," she replied.  
  
"What the hell do you mean, 'He's not after me'?" he demanded. "He blew up my car; he kidnapped you."  
  
"He's not after you," she repeated. "He's using you to get to someone in your family. Now I didn't even know you had a family, so I have no idea who in it he's after."  
  
At that, Reese stopped dead. His face paled slightly, obviously taken aback. "I knew that bastard would get me in trouble sooner or later," he almost whispered. "I knew he would piss of the wrong people and someone I care about would get caught in the middle. I can't believe he would get mixed up in the kind of thing that would require an assassin!"  
  
"Whoa, whoa, whoa," Helena tried to make sense of his rantings, but it all seemed like gibberish to her, "slow down a minute. Who is he after?"  
  
Reese looked down for a moment, rubbing his head absently. Finally, he looked up into her eyes. "He's after my father," he replied.  
  
"Your father?" Helena asked, still not completely understanding. "Who is your father?"  
  
Reese scowled, almost spitting the words, "My father is Al Hawk."  
  
"What?!?" Helena almost shouted. "You mean to tell me that that criminal, the same criminal that killed my friend's mother, is your father?"  
  
"Yes," he replied between clenched teeth.  
  
Helena took a moment to absorb the shock, not saying anything else that might offend Reese. Finally, she had to ask, "How that hell did you get stuck with that genealogy?"  
  
Reese looked as if it was the last thing he wanted to talk about, but he answered anyway, "My mom was young, naïve. She didn't know what she was getting into."  
  
"I'm sorry," Helena said sincerely.  
  
Anger flashed in his eyes. "The day she got the message of how dangerous he actually was," he continued, "was the day she and I were kidnapped as leverage by one of his enemies. I vowed then and there that I would not let him hurt us ever again, and now he's doing it again."  
  
Helena sat silent for a moment, unsure of how to continue. "So what now?"  
  
Reese shook his head. "I don't know," he replied pacing the room, the anger still palpable in his voice. "I don't know if I should help Hawk or Lunden at this point," he said, but Helena wasn't even sure he was joking.  
  
He stood up resolutely. "The first thing I have to do is get my mother out of town. If Lunden went after me and tried to kill you, he won't hesitate to go after her."  
  
"Can I help?" Helena asked.  
  
"You've done enough," he replied turning to her. "You go home and take care of that neck." He ran one hand gently over the mark. "I'll let you know before I do anything else."  
  
"Okay," she replied reluctantly going to the fire escape.  
  
Before she exited the apartment, she turned back to Reese. Gripping the collar of his shirt in both hands, she pulled him to her in a long, passionate kiss. Then, as quickly as she came, she disappeared into the night, leaving the devilishly handsome detective to stare after her in wonder.  
  
  
  
**So, what'd you think? I won't know if you don't tell me. Hint hint, wink wink. Next chapter coming as soon as I think of it, and not before I get 10 reviews. Keep that in mind.  
  
One last thing. I haven't been writing for the site too long and am just ignorant, so would someone please tell me what the hell 'Literati' means?** 


	5. Regroup

A/N: Thanks for the awesome reviews! The Pixie Stix highs I get from reading all your reviews seems to be doing me good because I can't stop writing. So keep it up!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you do sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**  
  
  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 5: Regroup  
  
  
  
"Where have you been?" Helena was confronted upon entering the lair. "Dinah came back over a half an hour ago."  
  
"Relax Barbara, I took the long way back," she replied, her entire stance laid-back.  
  
"Meaning, you stopped by Reese's place?" Barbara said raising an eye-brow.  
  
"I might have," Helena smirked. "I had to ask him a couple questions," she explained.  
  
"Yeah, right," Barbara smiled. "Anyway," she said changing the subject, "while you were, ahem, asking questions, we were looking for answers."  
  
"What do you got?" she asked, pulling up a chair next to Barbara in front of the computer screens.  
  
"Well, from what I can see, Lunden goes from hotel to hotel, never staying at the same place twice, meaning the fact that we found where he was staying tonight doesn't tell us where we can find him next."  
  
"So we have nothing there," Helena pointed out, and received an annoyed glace.  
  
"By transporting you...however he moves himself, some things apparently couldn't go with you. Your communicator was left on the ground in the spot where you were taken, but for some reason, your necklace stayed with you. For that reason alone we were still able to pick up your location from the tracking device we installed into your necklace. I don't know exactly why the necklace stayed with you and the communicator didn't, but it could have just been a fluke. Maybe he just took your earpiece off of you before you disappeared, so I'm not counting on it for next time."  
  
"Next time?" Helena cut in sounding very irritated. "You're expecting me to get kidnapped again?"  
  
"Just saying," Barbara replied defensively, a small smirk forming on her lips, "that in case it happens again, we need another way to track your position."  
  
"Whatever, anything else?"  
  
"We still don't know why he's here, who his original mark was, or why he's chosen to pinpoint Reese. We're still looking."  
  
"Wait, could you hear me through the necklace?" Helena asked.  
  
"No, the transport must have messed up the signal. Why?"  
  
"Lunden inadvertently told me who he's after, why he's here."  
  
"Which is?"  
  
"He isn't after Reese, he's after his father."  
  
"This is new," Barbara said, her ears perked. "Do we know who that is?"  
  
"Yes we do," Helena replied. "You won't believe this. Al Hawk is Reese's father."  
  
"You're kidding me."  
  
"On my life," she swore, holding up her right hand.  
  
"Well, this changes things," Oracle said beginning to type rapidly on the keyboard. "Maybe, by pulling up the research we did on Hawk during the Black Canary case, we can make some connections and figure out who sent Lunden and why."  
  
"Now we're thinking," Helena said standing up anxiously and beginning to pace.  
  
After a few minutes of the sound of incessant clicking on the keyboard, Helena became impatient. "I'm going home," she told Barbara. "I've had a rough day. Let me know what you find in the morning."  
  
"Will do," Oracle replied as Helena walked out the door.  
  
* * *  
  
Helena slumped into her apartment above the bar. She'd had no idea how tired she was until she'd reached the stairs on the way up.  
  
'Why am I tired?' she asked herself. 'I was unconscious for a while. When I went to Reese's place the first time, it was early in the night. That means I couldn't have been taken later than ten. It's just about dawn now, around six in the morning. I only left Lunden's about an hour ago, so I was out for about...'  
  
"Seven hours?" she asked herself aloud as she turned her key in the lock.  
  
The number went through her head over and over as she turned on every single light in the small, one bedroom apartment. Somehow, she really didn't feel comfortable with so much darkness around her. That was where she used to feel safest. Now she jumped at the slightest movement, imagining that the shadows were moving, closing in around her again.  
  
'What could he have done with me in seven hours?' she thought to herself as she slipped into a pair on her favorite pajamas. 'He could have killed me easily. He could have done so much worse. For seven whole hours, I was completely defenseless in the hands of a killer.' That last thought made her physically cringe.  
  
She went into the bathroom to wash her face, but as she glanced up into the mirror, she was mesmerized by the swelling red line circling her throat. She took off her necklace and studied the mark, running her fingers painfully over it. She had gotten very close to death tonight, the closest she had ever been.  
  
Sure she had been in countless life-threatening situations; it was an occupational hazard. Still, this was different. She had almost given in to the darkness, to death. She had tasted the sweet sense of serenity and had come back. It was unlike anything she had ever felt, and it had scared the hell out of her.  
  
Unable to stand her reflection any longer, she decided to take a shower. Sliding out of her pajamas, she stepped under the jet of nearly scalding water. As the water flowed over her face, she felt her hot, salty tears melt with its harsh flow. She leaned against the wall in front of her, the jet pounding on her back as sobs shook her body. Finally, she slid to the floor of the tub, falling into an exhausted and dreamless sleep.  
  
Awoken by the freezing water about an hour later, she stumbled out of the shower, shutting the water off on her way. She dried and put on her pajamas in an almost stagnant state, then fell into bed and a sleep filled with shadow.  
  
  
  
**So, what'd you think? I won't know if you don't tell me. Hint hint, wink wink. Next chapter coming as soon as I think of it, and not before I get 10 reviews. Keep that in mind. It might be a little longer this time because school starts again on Monday and I have a two page English essay due on Thursday that I haven't even picked a topic for, so I might be busy. I'll try to get in one more chapter before break ends, but that means you guys have to review your butts off! Thanks guys! O:) ** 


	6. Soon

A/N: Okay, first of all I want to say 'I'm so sorry!' I know I haven't updated in forever, and you guys are probably about ready to stone me. The thing is I've been really developing this Gilmore Girls story that I'm writing. I had half of this chapter written a while ago, and then you'll never guess what happened. I got an e-mail from the site admin saying that they were banning my GG story and I wasn't allowed to upload on the site for a while. How bogus is that!  
  
Anyway, please don't kill me. I'll try not to go that long before I do another chapter again, but I'm going out of town for two weeks from the 21st to the 4th, so I may not be able to update for at least that long. I'll try, but I really need ideas. I have a couple, but I'm pretty much tapped. Please e-mail me at angel30261@yahoo.com if you have any ideas for me, and thanks for being so patient. Well here you go. Please R/R, and enjoy!  
  
**Disclaimer: I own a Discman, a shelf full of books, and this laptop. I don't own anything related to this show. And even if you do sue me, all you're getting is the Discman and the books because there's no way in hell you're getting my laptop.**  
  
  
  
The Black Shadow  
  
by Angel Monroe  
  
Chapter 6: Soon  
  
  
  
Helena crept through the halls of the apartment building, her black boots making no sound on the floor. Unlike ever other night she had visited this building, she heard no babies crying, no stereos blasting obscene rap lyrics, not even a television turned a little too loud. The only sound she heard was the breath escaping her lips and the sound of her heart beating in her ears.  
  
Every door seemed the same, every hall identical. The same beige carpeting covered the floor and the same peeling wallpaper covered the walls. Finally, she came to the door she knew was his, number 216. She looked all around her, checking for any danger, before softly knocking on the door. When she heard nothing coming from the apartment, she checked the knob. Eerily, she found that it turned easily in her hand.  
  
"Reese," she whispered creeping into the apartment. She looked around at the humble furnishings. She had never really seen it since she'd always come and gone through his bedroom fire escape. The living room held a small couch across from a basic 27-inch color television set. A simple oak coffee table sat in front of the couch with a couple magazines and the TV remote lying nonchalantly on top. She walked into the kitchen, opening the cabinets and drawers. There was nothing there. Confused, she opened the refrigerator. Nothing. It was completely bare.  
  
"Whoa, this is creepy," she said aloud just to break the silence. "Reese, are you here?" she called a little louder.  
  
Reese didn't seem to be there, but still, the supernatural air she felt all around her kept her from leaving. She walked into the living room and sat on the couch. Picking up the remote, she clicked on the TV. Static. Every channel she tried gave her static. Maybe the cable was out. She picked up one of the magazines and flipped through its pages. All blank. The pages were nothing but black space.  
  
"What the hell is going on?" Helena asked loudly, standing up.  
  
Completely freaked out at this point, she walked through the door she knew led to Reese's bedroom. Her eyes went straight to the bed where Reese was tied and gagged, his wrists held to the bedpost by metal wire. He struggled against his bindings, trying to yell to her through the fabric wedged in his mouth. As his eyes met hers, they widened and shot to a point right behind her.  
  
Taking the hint, Helena turned just in time to glimpse a large metal object as it connected with the side of the head, propelled with seemingly superhuman force. Flying backwards over the bed, she slammed into the wall next to the window, her body going limp as she stared at her attacker.  
  
Jack Lunden smiled at her, dropping the pipe with which he had struck her. She tried to stand to her feet, tried to face him with the fierce confidence she had always possessed, but her limbs just wouldn't move. As he neared her, she could hear Reese's muffled cries, but she could do nothing about it. She couldn't even turn her head to look at him. All she could do was stare as the Black Shadow drew closer and closer to her paralyzed figure.  
  
Helena jerked awake, her hair clinging to her sweaty forehead. She sat in bed for a moment waiting for reality to come back to her. It was a dream, only a dream. She was in her own apartment, in her own bed. She was surrounded by light, and she was alone.  
  
She stood up out of bed, suddenly wide awake. Going to the kitchen, she grabbed a bottle of water and downed it almost desperately. She felt so weak, so out of it. Her head was pounding from the injury she hadn't really sustained. Everything in her was tensed, attuned to every sound and movement in the apartment.  
  
'God, I need to relax,' she thought as she took a yogurt from the fridge. She peeled off the lid and dug in eagerly. She hadn't eaten anything in a while. She made a mental note to stop at McDonald's on her way to HQ. Barbara's place never had anything to eat.  
  
Walking back into her room, she froze. She looked around her, listening hard for any attacker, before she went slowly to her bed. She picked up the small, square, black card that lay there on top of her ruffled bedcovers. With an ominous feeling in the bit of her stomach, she flipped it open and read its contents.  
  
'The darkness flows  
  
Like sticky black blood,  
  
But a kitten who froze  
  
Can't escape the flood.  
  
She tries to fight,  
  
She tries to hide,  
  
But the thirst of midnight  
  
Won't be denied.  
  
You can't stop me Huntress. I'll see you again soon.  
  
-Shadow'  
  
Helena took another quick look around, then quickly and self-consciously changed into her street clothes and headed out through the window.  
  
  
  
**So, what'd you think? I won't know if you don't tell me. Hint hint, wink wink. I know this one was short, but I'm really running on writer's block here. As I said, I have ideas for a couple more chapters, but it might be a little while before I can get them to play nice. Please review. I'll love you forever! Anyway, thanks. O:)** 


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